Chie Yoshii Presents New Works in “Almost Forgotten Stories”

Myths are of particular interest to Chie Yoshii, whose work is inspired by the analogy between mythological tales and human psychology. The Los Angeles based Japanese artist’s lush paintings, previously featured here on our blog, depicts her subjects in color-saturated images that remove them from their historical identity and into a land of fancy: central figures of Ancient Greek art and literature rendered with a timeless beauty.

Chie Yoshii’s upcoming solo “Almost Forgotten Stories” offers a new series of works paintings that are continually influenced by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. The artist cites “Man and His Symbols” among her favorite books, where Jung discovered that certain dreams and stories are common to all of societies. Throughout, Yoshii embodies moral issues of justice, piety, familial relationships, and the struggle of purity against corruption. Her portrait of “Pandora” for instance depicts the first human woman created by the gods. The Pandora myth is a kind of theodicy, addressing the question of why there is evil in the world.

Though her work is increasingly decorative, Yoshii states that she has evolved from using processes like tight under-painting, focusing more on her subject’s psychological states. The figure “Adonis” with her revealing dress, languid posture, and long red hair, is given a fresh sensuality while “Pan” gazes at the viewer with a luminous intensity. Each of her works features a different character and keen observation of nature, elaborating on their mental and emotional mood in a way that represents them more truthfully.

Take a look at more works from Chie Yoshii’s “Almost Forgotten Stories” below, opening April 2nd at at William Baczek Fine Arts in Massachusetts.